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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29895420">Secondary Houses</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/squarepeg/pseuds/squarepeg'>squarepeg</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, F/M, Gen, Hogwarts Eighth Year, Hufflepuff Draco Malfoy, Hufflepuff Neville Longbottom, M/M, Multi, Ravenclaw Hermione Granger, Ravenclaw Ron Weasley, Slytherin Harry Potter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 17:54:53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,214</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29895420</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/squarepeg/pseuds/squarepeg</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of vignettes about a rag tag group of war veterans' eighth year at Hogwarts.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Secondary Houses</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello all! I will add to this sporadically and update the tags for relationships as I go. First chapter is Minerva POV to set up the world and the students I've chosen to include in it. XX</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Minerva McGonagall looked over the small group of returning eighth year students gathered in the entrance hall fondly. Some had fought valiantly at her side over the last school year, some had privately waged their own battles in the same heartless war, but all were irrevocably changed. It was nice to see them gathered in a congenial manner, exchanging open smiles with one another. It would have been a perfect scene if not for the handful of students ostracized and shuffling awkwardly in the corner, all clad in silver and green. She cleared her throat to direct their attention onto herself and cast a sonorous charm for a very important announcement. </p><p>	“Welcome back to Hogwarts. It is our pleasure and honor to have you as our first ever eighth year students. I’d like to personally thank each and every one of you for choosing to continue your education here at Hogwarts. It was not a decision to be made lightly and you all have my utmost respect as fellow adults; however, the fact remains that you are students while you are at Hogwarts and students must be Housed. I have gathered you here an hour after the welcome festivities started to let you know that we have opened a temporary dormitory for you all to share that will be located on the third floor. I will personally escort you there later, but first I would like you all to be re-sorted into your secondary houses to encourage unity amongst our younger returning students,” Minerva paused as the murmurs, which had been slowly building the entire time she was speaking, became suddenly overwhelming. </p><p>	“Professor, er, Headmistress, I mean, you can’t just…do that,” Harry Potter protested weakly over the din. His friends nodded in agreement behind him. </p><p>	“There is precedent for it,” Hermione Granger interjected. “The 1548 War of the Stone Mages gave Ravenclaw house a rather sinister reputation and the Headmaster at the time considered disbanding it altogether.”</p><p>	Lisa Turpin chimed in from a few feet away, “They didn’t though, thank heavens, I would’ve hated a Hogwarts without Ravenclaw Tower.”</p><p>	“No,” Hermione agreed. “They didn’t. They chose to re-sort all of the students instead, thus erasing any animosity and building solidarity amongst the fractured groups. Is that what you plan to do with all of us, Headmistress? A bit of a social experiment for the post-war era?”</p><p>	“In a way, Miss Granger. The only difference is that a standard re-sorting often has the same outcome for any given student. For this particular situation, I have decided to ask the sorting hat to place you into the house that is your second best fit. That way no one will go to the same house twice and you can all learn to appreciate the multifaceted, dynamic natures of your fellow classmates,” She fixed them all with a stern glare. “Merlin knows we could use some compassion and empathy this year. Follow me into the Great Hall. It’s time to get started.” </p><p>	She turned on her heel and lead the way in through the heavy doors, past the long tables filled with silent, staring children who had been similarly briefed by Deputy Headmaster Flitwick, stopping the group just before the stool topped with the omnipotent hat that would once again seal their fate. It was a bit startling, the deja vu that set in on her as she looked down at the faces of the now fully grown wixen who stared at her with the same looks of apprehension on their faces as they had seven years before. </p><p>	“Abbott, Hannah,” Minerva called.</p><p>	Hannah squeezed her friend Susan Bones’ hand and made her way to the stool to break the ice off this scary new adventure. The sorting hat only sat on her head for about ten seconds before calling out Gryffindor. Gryffindor house erupted into cheers to welcome their new arrival. Susan Bones followed her to the Gryffindor table a minute later. Terry Boot, Stephen Cornfoot and Anthony Goldstein all shuffled off to Slytherin, looking pleased to have each other for support. Seamus Finnigan went to Hufflepuff and Hermione Granger to Ravenclaw.  Minerva was unsurprised by the outcome thus far. </p><p>	“Greengrass, Daphne.”</p><p>	The first former Slytherin student made her way to the stool, she looked more ashen than the students that had preceded her. The hat sat on her head for a total of five minutes before calling out Ravenclaw. Daphne looked relieved and hesitantly took a seat next to Hermione. Minerva was pleased to see that Daphne offered a handshake in greeting, her body language open and trusting. That was a promising start. Wayne Hopkins then joined Hermione and Daphne at the Ravenclaw table before Neville Longbottom joined Seamus at the Hufflepuff table. </p><p>	Minerva made eye contact with the next student and nodded at him in a way that she hoped was encouraging before calling his name, “Malfoy, Draco.”</p><p>	Draco held his head high in the face of open jeering from the majority of the student body. Minerva expected the hat to take some time with him, but, in much the same fashion as it had the first time, it barely touched his head before shouting Hufflepuff. The answering silence spoke volumes, but Draco made his way to the back of the table where Seamus and Neville were sitting despite it. Neither boy acknowledged him. Minerva sighed, she'd already known that getting anyone to accept Draco was going to be her toughest uphill battle no matter where he was placed. </p><p>	The attention didn’t remain on Draco for very long. Theodore Nott went to Ravenclaw without much fanfare aside from a beaming Daphne. Pansy Parkinson was next and, to the absolute shock of Minerva and everyone else in the room, she was placed into Gryffindor. Her reception there was chilly at best. Harry Potter, Padma Patil and Lisa Turpin were all sent to Slytherin. Harry looked resigned, smiling hesitantly down the table at his understandably frightened new housemates. Meanwhile, Padma looked distraught to have been once again separated from her sister, Parvati, who was now sporting a yellow and black tie and snickering quietly at Seamus while he tried to set flame to Draco's identical tie. Neville doused it with a water charm before it spread, kicking Seamus in the shin beneath the table. </p><p>	Ron Weasley was second to last to be sorted and his eyes drifted between Harry and Hermione hopelessly as the hat settled onto his head. His sorting took the longest, a whopping thirteen minutes passed before the hat reluctantly called out Ravenclaw. Ron looked happy enough to cry, he may as well have skipped to the open seat to the right of Hermione for how quickly he settled there. Hermione steadied her hand against his trembling upper back reassuringly. </p><p>	Blaise Zabini followed him to the stool, his trademark stoicism firmly in place as the hat sent him to join Pansy, Hannah and Susan in Gryffindor. </p><p>	“Thus concludes our re-sorting. Your new housemates will act as leaders in unity for us all as we navigate this school year. Please treat them in kind.”</p><p>	The atmosphere was muted for the rest of the meal, but Minerva had seen enough goodness, bravery and strength of character that night to give her hope for days to come.</p>
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